UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS

General Certificate of Education

Advanced Subsidiary Level and Advanced Level
*5083540412*

PHYSICS 9702/02
Paper 2 AS Structured Questions October/November 2007
1 hour
Candidates answer on the Question Paper.
No Additional Materials are required.

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Write your Centre number, candidate number and name on all the work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen.
You may use a soft pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working.
Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid.
DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES.

Answer all questions.

You may lose marks if you do not show your working or if you do not use appropriate units.

At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely together.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part For Examiner’s Use
question.
1

Total

This document consists of 15 printed pages and 1 blank page.

SP (NF/CGW) T19292/2
© UCLES 2007 [Turn over
 2

Data

speed of light in free space, c = 3.00 × 10 8 m s –1

permeability of free space, ␮0 = 4␲ × 10 –7 H m–1

permittivity of free space, ε0 = 8.85 × 10 –12 F m–1

elementary charge, e = 1.60 × 10 –19 C

the Planck constant, h = 6.63 × 10 –34 J s

unified atomic mass constant, u = 1.66 × 10 –27 kg

rest mass of electron, me = 9.11 × 10 –31 kg

rest mass of proton, mp = 1.67 × 10 –27 kg

molar gas constant, R = 8.31 J K –1 mol –1

the Avogadro constant, NA = 6.02 × 10 23 mol –1

the Boltzmann constant, k = 1.38 × 10 –23 J K –1

gravitational constant, G = 6.67 × 10 –11 N m 2 kg –2

acceleration of free fall, g = 9.81 m s –2

© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07

 3

Formulae

uniformly accelerated motion, s = ut +
 at 2

v 2 = u 2 + 2as

work done on/by a gas, W = p ⌬V

Gm
gravitational potential, φ =–
r
hydrostatic pressure, p = qgh

Nm 2
pressure of an ideal gas, p =
 V
<c >

simple harmonic motion, a = – x 2x

velocity of particle in s.h.m., v = v0 cos xt

v = ± x √(x 20 – x 2)

Q
electric potential, V =
4␲ε0r
capacitors in series, 1/C = 1/C1 + 1/C2 + . . .

capacitors in parallel, C = C1 + C2 + . . .

energy of charged capacitor, W =
 QV

resistors in series, R = R1 + R2 + . . .

resistors in parallel, 1/R = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + . . .

alternating current/voltage, x = x0 sin xt

radioactive decay, x = x0 exp(– λt )

0.693
decay constant, k =
t


© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07 [Turn over

 4

BLANK PAGE

9702/02/O/N/07
 5 For
Examiner’s
Use
Answer all the questions in the spaces provided.

1 (a) Distinguish between systematic errors and random errors.

systematic errors .............................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

random errors ..................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

(b) A cylinder of length L has a circular cross-section of radius R, as shown in Fig. 1.1.

Fig. 1.1

The volume V of the cylinder is given by the expression

V = πR 2L .

The volume and length of the cylinder are measured as

V = 15.0 ± 0.5 cm3

L = 20.0 ± 0.1 cm.

Calculate the radius of the cylinder, with its uncertainty.

radius = ........................ ± ........................ cm [5]

© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07 [Turn over

 6 For
Examiner’s
Use
2 A girl G is riding a bicycle at a constant velocity of 3.5 m s–1. At time t = 0, she passes a boy B
sitting on a bicycle that is stationary, as illustrated in Fig. 2.1.

G 3.5 m s–1

t=0

Fig. 2.1

At time t = 0, the boy sets off to catch up with the girl. He accelerates uniformly from time t = 0
until he reaches a speed of 5.6 m s–1 in a time of 5.0 s. He then continues at a constant speed
of 5.6 m s–1. At time t = T, the boy catches up with the girl.
T is measured in seconds.

(a) State, in terms of T, the distance moved by the girl before the boy catches up with her.

distance = ............................. m [1]

(b) For the boy, determine

(i) the distance moved during his acceleration,

distance = ............................. m [2]

(ii) the distance moved during the time that he is moving at constant speed.
Give your answer in terms of T.

distance = ................................. m [1]

© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07

 7 For
Examiner’s
Use
(c) Use your answers in (a) and (b) to determine the time T taken for the boy to catch up
with the girl.

T = .......................................... s [2]

(d) The boy and the bicycle have a combined mass of 67 kg.

(i) Calculate the force required to cause the acceleration of the boy.

force = .......................................... N [3]

(ii) At a speed of 4.5 m s–1, the total resistive force acting on the boy and bicycle is
23 N.
Determine the output power of the boy’s legs at this speed.

power = ......................................... W [2]

© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07 [Turn over

 8 For
Examiner’s
Use
3 (a) (i) Define potential energy.

..................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................. [1]

(ii) Distinguish between gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy.

gravitational potential energy ...................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

elastic potential energy ............................................................................................

............................................................................................................................. [2]

(b) A small sphere of mass 51 g is suspended by a light inextensible string from a fixed
point P.
The centre of the sphere is 61 cm vertically below point P, as shown in Fig. 3.1.

61 cm 18°

sphere,
mass 51g

Fig. 3.1

The sphere is moved to one side, keeping the string taut, so that the string makes
an angle of 18° with the vertical. Calculate

(i) the gain in gravitational potential energy of the sphere,

gain = ……………………….. J [2]

© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07

 9 For
Examiner’s
Use
(ii) the moment of the weight of the sphere about point P.

moment = .................................... N m [2]

© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07 [Turn over

 10 For
Examiner’s
Use
4 A sample of material in the form of a cylindrical rod has length L and uniform area of
cross-section A. The rod undergoes an increasing tensile stress until it breaks.
Fig. 4.1 shows the variation with stress of the strain in the rod.

0.02

strain

breaking
point

0.01

0
0 5 10
8
stress / 10 Pa

Fig. 4.1

(a) State whether the material of the rod is ductile, brittle or polymeric.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(b) Determine the Young modulus of the material of the rod.

Young modulus = ............................................. Pa [2]

© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07

 11 For
Examiner’s
Use
(c) A second cylindrical rod of the same material has a spherical bubble in it, as illustrated
in Fig. 4.2.

cylindrical rod bubble

1.9 x 103 N 1.9 x 103 N

cross-sectional area
3.2 x 10–6 m2

Fig. 4.2

The rod has an area of cross-section of 3.2 × 10–6 m2 and is stretched by forces of
magnitude 1.9 × 103 N.
By reference to Fig. 4.1, calculate the maximum area of cross-section of the bubble
such that the rod does not break.

area = ............................................ m2 [3]

(d) A straight rod of the same material is bent as shown in Fig. 4.3.

Fig. 4.3

Suggest why a thin rod can bend more than a thick rod without breaking.

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07 [Turn over

 12 For
Examiner’s
Use
5 (a) Fig. 5.1 shows the variation with time t of the displacement y of a wave W as it passes a
point P. The wave has intensity I.

0
t

wave W

Fig. 5.1

A second wave X of the same frequency as wave W also passes point P.

This wave has intensity
 I. The phase difference between the two waves is 60°.
On Fig. 5.1, sketch the variation with time t of the displacement y of wave X. [3]

(b) In a double-slit interference experiment using light of wavelength 540 nm, the separation
of the slits is 0.700 mm. The fringes are viewed on a screen at a distance of 2.75 m from
the double slit, as illustrated in Fig. 5.2 (not to scale).

coherent light
0.700 mm
wavelength 540 nm

screen
2.75 m

Fig. 5.2

© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07

 13 For
Examiner’s
Use
Calculate the separation of the fringes observed on the screen.

separation = ................................ mm [3]

(c) State the effect, if any, on the appearance of the fringes observed on the screen when
the following changes are made, separately, to the double-slit arrangement in (b).

(i) The width of each slit is increased but the separation remains constant.

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................. [3]

(ii) The separation of the slits is increased.

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................. [2]

© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07 [Turn over

 14 For
Examiner’s
Use
6 An electric shower unit is to be fitted in a house. The shower is rated as 10.5 kW, 230 V. The
shower unit is connected to the 230 V mains supply by a cable of length 16 m, as shown in
Fig. 6.1.

copper wire cable

shower unit
230 V supply 10.5 kW
230 V

copper wire 16 m

Fig. 6.1

(a) Show that, for normal operation of the shower unit, the current is approximately 46 A.

[2]

(b) The resistance of the two wires in the cable causes the potential difference across the
shower unit to be reduced. The potential difference across the shower unit must not be
less than 225 V.
The wires in the cable are made of copper of resistivity 1.8 × 10–8 Ω m.
Assuming that the current in the wires is 46 A, calculate

(i) the maximum resistance of the cable,

resistance = ............................... Ω [3]

© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07

 15 For
Examiner’s
Use
(ii) the minimum area of cross-section of each wire in the cable.

area = ...................................... m2 [3]

(c) Connecting the shower unit to the mains supply by means of a cable having wires with
too small a cross-sectional area would significantly reduce the power output of the
shower unit.

(i) Assuming that the shower is operating at 210 V, rather than 230 V, and that its
resistance is unchanged, determine the ratio

power dissipated by shower unit at 210 V

.
power dissipated by shower unit at 230 V

ratio = .......................................... [2]

(ii) Suggest and explain one further disadvantage of using wires of small cross-sectional
area in the cable.

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................ [2]

© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07 [Turn over

 16 For
Examiner’s
Use
7 (a) Evidence for the nuclear atom was provided by the α-particle scattering experiment.
State the results of this experiment.

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

(b) Give estimates for the diameter of

(i) an atom,

..............................................................................................................................[1]

(ii) a nucleus.

..............................................................................................................................[1]

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

University of Cambridge International Examinations is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of University of
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is itself a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2007 9702/02/O/N/07